The invention relates to devices and methods for holding a pair of glasses on a person""s head. The invention applies to many types of glasses including sunglasses, reading glasses, driving glasses, safety glasses and sport glasses.
For centuries people have worked to solve the problem of securing eyeglasses comfortably on a wearer""s head. There is a natural tendency for glasses to slip down the wearer""s nose and face, from their optimal location with the lenses positioned in front of the wearer""s eyes. The problem is exacerbated when glasses are worn during vigorous activities such as running or cycling, or when the wearer has fluid such as sweat, make-up, or lotion around the eyes and upper part of the nose where glasses typically rest.
The most common device used today to secure eyeglasses on a person""s head is a strap worn behind the wearer""s head, connecting distal tips of the two eyeglass temples. However, eyeglass straps are not always preferred or appropriate. Some people do not want the visibility of a strap. At work or formal events, an eyeglass strap may be distracting or may appear too casual. Other times a strap may be undesirable because of the effect it has on the wearer""s hair. Another problem with eyeglass straps is that they usually require two hands to remove. Eyeglasses with straps also can be difficult to fit into an eyeglass case. Thus, there is a need for alternatives to an eyeglass strap for retaining eyeglasses on a person""s head.
A number of eyeglass retainers have been designed that use a narrow semi-rigid hook mechanism behind the ear to resist forward movement of the temple. For example, some eyeglasses have xe2x80x9cwrap-aroundxe2x80x9d temples with end portions that are thin wire gauge extenders curved to wrap around the back of the wearer""s ear. The wrap-around temple is designed to fit in the crease where the ear and head connect. However, temples with permanent wrap around tips rarely fit in the right spot because the eyeglass frames are usually not customized. If the wrap-around portion is too far back then the glasses slide forward before the hook meets the ear. If the wrap-around portion is too far forward then the spring-like wire exerts excessive pressure behind the ear causing discomfort.
Modifications of traditional wrap-around temples are disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 2,626,538 and U.S. Pat. No. 5,002,381, each of which discloses an add-on accessory for an eyeglass temple including a tube portion that slides over the distal tip of a temple for placement along the temple in relation to the wearer""s ear. A hook member extends down from the tube portion presenting a concave surface for positioning in the crease behind the wearer""s ear and resisting forward movement of the eyeglasses.
An inherent problem with hook-shaped eyeglass retainers is that functionally they rely on direct forward pressure applied behind the ear in a relatively small and highly sensitive area where the ear meets the head. The hook-shaped retainer must be relatively stiff in the front-to-back direction, otherwise, the retainers fail to hold the eyeglasses in place. Some hook-shaped retainers may function acceptably for the purpose of securing eyeglasses, but over time they cause irritation behind the ear, which is probably why such retainers are not more widely used today.
Another problem with accessory retainers such as the ones disclosed in Pat. Nos. 2,626,538 and 5,002,381 is that the tube portions are insufficiently flexible to fit over a wide range of temple dimensions. The thickness and shape of eyeglass temples vary dramatically. Eyeglass temples may be small gauge wire extensions with a round cross-section, as in aviator glasses, or they may be large plastic braces such as the temples of a RAY BAN WAYFARER(copyright). The tube portions of prior accessory retainers such as those mentioned above are not versatile enough to fit on temples that vary over a wide range of cross-sectional dimensions.
Another approach to retaining eyeglasses is to use temples that clamp the head. This design may work satisfactorily for extremely lightweight eyewear on some head sizes. However, the clamping force required to secure most glasses for extended periods will eventually cause discomfort. It is also difficult to pre-set a clamping force that will achieve the retention goal comfortably on a wide range of head sizes. This is a significant limitation because most eyeglass frames are not customized for a particular person.
Even though the problem of securing eyeglasses has been worked on diligently by many people for many years, a need still exists for a comfortable, flexible, inexpensive, universal eyeglass retainer that is unobtrusive and does not necessarily require an around-the-head tensioning strap.
The invention provides a simple mechanism for retaining eyeglasses on a person""s head. The retention device is simpler to use, easier to make, more adaptable to varying individual anatomies, more comfortable to wear, more versatile for use on different shapes and sizes of eyeglasses, and more aesthetically acceptable than eyeglass retention devices used in the past.
A pair of eyeglass tethers are provided for securing eyeglasses on a person""s head. Each tether has an elastomeric attachment mechanism providing a hole for receiving an eyeglass temple. A traction portion descends from the attachment mechanism, and is freely bendable in a front-to-back direction so that the traction portion can grip a person""s back ear region without concentrating significant forward pressure in the crease where the ear meets the head.
Eyewear includes a pair of lenses supported in a front frame member. A pair of temples are connected to opposite ends of the frame member. The temples extend rearward for bracing the eyeglasses on a wearer""s head. Each of a pair of retainers has an elastomeric traction portion descending from one of the temples. The traction portion is freely yielding in a front-to-back direction, and has a surface that grips a wearer""s back ear region.
An eyeglass retention device includes a pair of retainers. Each retainer has an upper edge, and an attachment mechanism near the upper edge including a hole for receiving a temple on a pair of eyeglasses. Each retainer has an elastomeric traction portion descending from the temple. Each traction portion has a width and a thickness, the width being substantially equal to or greater than the thickness.
Another eyeglass retention device includes a pair of retainers, each retainer has an upper edge, an attachment mechanism near the upper edge including a hole for receiving a temple on a pair of eyeglasses, and a resiliently flexible traction portion having a front face descending from the hole, wherein the front face is substantially planar.
The invention also provides an eyeglass retention device including an elongate member having a long axis running between top and bottom opposite ends. A hole is provided near the top end for receiving an eyeglass temple. A handle is located near the bottom end. The member has a surface that tends to grip on skin, and is resiliently stretchable along the long axis so that when the member is stretched from an eyeglass temple into a wearer""s back ear region by pulling on the handle, the member grips and maintains a partially stretched orientation causing a front-to-back pulling force to be exerted on the temple without concentrating significant forward pressure behind a wearer""s ear when used to secure eyeglasses on a wearer""s face.
In another embodiment, eyewear includes a pair of eyeglasses which have two temples, and a pair of foam rubber sheet members. Each sheet member is defined between substantially planar and parallel front and back sides. Each sheet member has a hole connecting the front side to the back side. Each of the temples is inserted through the hole of one of the sheet members so that the front sides of the sheet members face generally forward when the eyeglasses are worn.
Another eyeglass retention system includes a pair of tethers. Each tether has an upper edge and an attachment mechanism providing a hole near the upper edge for receiving an eyeglass temple. Each tether has an elastomeric traction portion below the attachment mechanism. The hole of each tether defines a front-to-back direction. The traction portion of each tether lacks significant stiffness in the respective front-to-back direction.
Retainers employ a pair of tethers, each tether having an upper edge, and an attachment mechanism including a hole near the upper edge for receiving an eyeglass temple. Each tether has an elastomeric traction portion descending from the hole of the attachment mechanism. The traction portion is made of a flat elastomeric sheet. The sheet has a thickness, oriented in a front-to-back direction, of less than about xe2x85x9c inch, and width equal to or greater than the thickness.
The invention also provides a method of manufacturing an eyeglass retention device. Eyeglass retention members are cut out of a sheet of elastomeric material. A hole is cut in each retention member. The dimension of each retention member is limited so that it can substantially entirely fit behind a wearer""s ear.